Jack Quaid | How Meg Ryan's Son Became a Star of "The Boys"

The hero of our video today is the child of  star parents who was forbidden from attending   auditions as a child but got into the film  industry at the first opportunity. Jack Quaid,   the son of actors Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, rose  to fame thanks to his role in the series "The   Boys." When did he realize that his parents were  famous? Why did he refuse his father's help? Why   was he hated by "The Hunger Games" fans? And how  did he himself become a "Star Wars" hater? We'll   tell you about this and much more right now! Jack Quaid – How Meg Ryan's Son   Became a Star of "The Boys." Childhood Under the Spotlight Jack Henry Quaid is a part of the much-discussed  group of "nepo babies"—children of famous parents.   His mother is Meg Ryan, and his father is Dennis  Quaid. They began dating while filming the movie   D.O.A., got married in 1991, and on April  24, 1992, their son Jack was born. To him,   the famous actors Ryan and Quaid were  just mom and dad. Jack only started to   realize his parents' celebrity status when their  separation in 2000 and subsequent divorce became   widely covered in the media. The press accused  Meg of having an affair with Russell Crowe,   but she claimed that the marriage had fallen  apart long before Crowe. It was only many   years later that the actress revealed it  was Dennis who had been unfaithful to her. Despite the scandalous breakup, the Hollywood  stars managed to restore their friendship and   co-parented Jack together. However, he spent most  of his time with his mother and often visited the   sets of her movies. It's no surprise that the  boy also became an actor. But comedy came first.   In school, young Quaid participated in a comedy  club where he would create sketches and even do   stand-up. Like many of his peers, Jack was a huge  fan of comic books. During summer vacations, he   spent all his time devouring graphic novels about  the X-Men, Spider-Man, Superman, and other heroes. Jack says that even if his mom  and dad weren't Hollywood stars,   he would have still found his way into acting  sooner or later. However, he acknowledges that   his childhood was far from ordinary. While most  parents might be taken aback when their children   express a desire to pursue an acting career,  his parents did the opposite—they showed him   through their own example that it was possible. Jack's debut in acting was in a school production   of A Midsummer Night's Dream. He played  Nick Bottom—the character who turns into a   donkey—and had a great time. As a teenager, Jack  might have wanted to act outside of drama club,   but his parents forbade him from auditioning  until he turned 18. As he grew older, Jack came   to understand and appreciate their decision. In high school, Quaid attended the private   Crossroads School in Santa Monica, which boasts a  long list of famous alumni. Many Hollywood stars   sent their children there. After graduating, Quaid  enrolled in the Tisch School of the Arts at New   York University. However, he never completed  his degree, leaving after just three years.  The Hunger Games Upon turning 18, Jack   informed his parents of his desire to audition  for a role in the science fiction action movie   "The Hunger Games." They supported their  son, with Dennis Quaid even offering the   services of his agent, but Jack declined. He  wanted to ensure that he achieved success on   his own—as much as possible, considering his  background. "I never wanted anyone to say to me,   'I know how you got this job,'" he says.  Incidentally, at one of his first auditions,   Jack was bluntly told, "We thought you  would be an idiot, but you are really good!”  Jack successfully auditioned for "The Hunger  Games," which was released in 2012, and got a   small role as Marvel. He was incredibly grateful  for the opportunity to appear on the big screen,   but his character didn't become a fan favorite.  This was due to the fact that in the film,   Marvel accidentally kills the 12-year-old  Rue, played by Amandla Stenberg, and then   dies himself. Many years later, Stenberg  jokingly stated that she forgives Quaid,   to which he replied, "Oh my God, people have  been spitting at me on the streets for years!"  In the second part of "The Hunger Games,"  "Catching Fire," released in 2013,   Quaid's character returned in the form of a  hallucination. Additionally, the actor appeared   in several short films. Honing Acting Skills  Jack, who had been protected from paparazzi by his  parents since childhood, used to keep his personal   life private. His name didn't appear in  the gossip columns or scandals. However,   Jack's fans discovered that early in his career  that he dated Bono's daughter, Eve Hewson.  In that same year, 2013, Quaid, along with  some friends, created the sketch group   Sasquatch Comedy. In 2014, the first episodes of  their comedy show were released on YouTube. The   videos continued to appear regularly on their  channel for a few more years but gradually   tapered off due to Jack's increasing workload. Meanwhile, the actor's filmography expanded with   the dramedy "Just Before I Go," directed  by Courteney Cox. The movie didn't have a   wide release and was panned by critics. As  Jack admitted, at the start of his career,   he wasn't focused on gaining popularity;  what mattered to him was earning   recognition for his talent from his parents. He continued honing his acting skills in short   films, and in 2015, his mother, Meg Ryan, invited  him to play one of her character's sons in the war   drama "Ithaca." The movie is based on William  Saroyan's novel "The Human Comedy," and it was   directed by Meg Ryan herself. Working with Martin Scorsese  Soon, Jack got a role in Martin Scorsese's series  Vinyl. The project was the director's love letter   to the 1970s, and Quaid played Clark Morello, a  music label manager. Among the other characters,   Clark stands out as the most normal, a sort  of island of ordinariness in a sea of excess.   "He's just a goofball who got lucky enough to  work at a truly historic place," Quaid says   about his character. While the other actors  drew inspiration from the biographies of   such iconic figures as Elvis Presley, Iggy Pop,  and Lou Reed, Jack played a version of himself,   as if he had the most ordinary job. The young actor was terribly nervous,   realizing how rare an opportunity it was to work  with Scorsese. Fortunately for him, Mick Jagger,   the co-writer of the script, didn't show up  on set; otherwise, Jack might not have been   able to handle his anxiety. He only got to meet  the legendary rocker at the series' premiere.  Scorsese's creation received generally positive  reviews. However, as the series progressed,   the reviews became more critical.  Initially, a second season was planned,   but a couple of months after the project's  conclusion, the continuation was canceled.  After working with Martin Scorsese, Quaid  started receiving more offers, and in 2017,   he appeared in the horror-comedy Tragedy Girls and  the crime comedy Logan Lucky. While these films   didn't gain much popularity with audiences,  they were positively received by critics.  Romantic Comedy in Real Life At the end of the year, the name of Jack's   girlfriend was revealed—actress and comedian  Lizzy McGroder. They had met the previous year,   and their encounter happened in the best tradition  of romantic comedies. Jack was having a drink at a   bar where Lizzy was performing a comedy improv.  Suddenly, she called out to Quaid, "Hey! You!   Come here. You're late. Mom's going to cancel the  trip to Mexico." Jack, who also had a background   in comedy, played along, and they spent the rest  of the evening sharing stories about their lives.   Soon after, the couple moved in together and began  working on projects as a team. Quaid starred in   several short movies directed by McGroder and  joined her in an ad campaign for the New York   brand Frances Valentine. He admitted that she  gave him a lot of helpful advice on photoshoots,   as she had experience working as a model. In 2018, the film adaptation of the popular game   Rampage was released. In this action-adventure  fantasy, the main character was played by Dwayne   Johnson, while Quaid had a supporting role as  Connor. Additionally, the actor voiced one of   the characters in the animated movie Smallfoot.  Interestingly, this wasn't Jack's first experience   as a voice actor—he had previously worked on  the video game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.  Romantic Comedy on Screen The year 2019 can rightfully   be called a breakthrough in our hero's career.  In April, he presented his first romantic comedy   titled Plus One. His mother, Meg Ryan, starred  in one of the most popular films of this genre,   When Harry Met Sally, so Jack didn't want  to fall short in comparison. Interestingly,   Quaid only watched one of the biggest hits of his  mother’s career while preparing to film Plus One.   This was because of the iconic orgasm scene.  It had always been awkward for him to watch   his mom make those sounds on screen, but after  overcoming his embarrassment, he was thrilled   by her performance alongside Billy Crystal. It  has now become one of his favorite films in his   mother’s filmography, something he immediately  shared with her over the phone after watching.   Jack teared up during the final credits and  called Ryan to tell her how proud he was of her.  Meg reciprocated the sentiment and proudly talked  about her son's role in the new romantic comedy.   “Plus One” tells the story of a guy and a girl who  have known each other for many years and decide   to pretend to be a couple at a mutual friend's  wedding to avoid pitying looks. While the film   didn't achieve the same level of success as When  Harry Met Sally, it was well-received by critics   and audiences alike, who praised the "chemistry"  between the lead actors and their comedic talent.   A few years later, after its theatrical release,  Plus One was added to Netflix, gaining a new life   and attracting a new audience. The Boys  However, Jack's biggest success came in July,  when the series The Boys, based on the comic of   the same name, premiered on Amazon's streaming  service. This show brought Quaid into the   spotlight for a wider audience. His character,  Hughie Campbell, an electronics store clerk,   was originally modeled after actor Simon Pegg  during his time on the show Spaced. However, by   the time The Boys was being filmed, Pegg  was no longer the right age for the role,   so he played Hughie's father instead.  To better immerse himself in the role,   Jack created a special playlist for his character. The series parodies the superhero movie genre. The   action takes place in a world where superheroes  have become commonplace, and their personal   qualities leave much to be desired. This  fresh and daring approach paid off, with   the first season bringing in 8 million viewers to  Amazon Prime within just 10 days, leading to the   announcement of a second season. "It's some kind  of miracle," Jack commented on the show's success,   admitting that he was incredibly happy throughout  the entire filming process. The work on the show   truly took place in a friendly atmosphere, and the  actors often ruined takes with their laughter—like   the time when Jack got lost in the enormous set. In addition, in 2019, Quaid began voicing a   children's animated series called Harvey  Street Kids, where he played various roles   over two years. Meanwhile, the second season  of The Boys was released, becoming even more   successful than the first one—it increased  the show's audience by 89%. Interestingly,   filming the scene where The Deep hunts down the  Boys left Jack with unforgettable experiences—in   a bad way. The boat was driven by Karl Urban, who  gave his colleagues a safe word to use in case of   unforeseen situations. However, the helicopter  filming the scene and the strong wind prevented   Urban from hearing Jack's frantic scream. The boat  was literally flying over the waves at high speed,   and Jack, sitting right in front of the helm, was  pale after the first take. For the second take,   a stunt double replaced him, who  handled the extreme speed better.  New Projects and New Love In 2021, Jack's voice could be heard in   episodes of the animated series Solar Opposites,  Batman: The Long Halloween, and the fantasy   miniseries Solos. Additionally, he became part of  the Star Trek franchise, voicing Bradward Boimler.  During this period, it also became known that  Quaid and Lizzy McGroder had split up. They   stopped appearing on each other's social  media, and soon rumors began circulating   that Jack was dating his The Boys co-star  Claudia Doumit. This turned out to be true,   and they were spotted together outside the set.  They were seen walking hand-in-hand around Sydney,   and a few years later, Jack happily shared  plans to spend Valentine's Day with Claudia   at Disneyland. Despite his parents' high-profile  divorce, Jack hasn't lost faith in the idea of   marriage and hopes to start a family someday,  though he's not thinking about it just yet.  Scream Meanwhile,   while fans of The Boys were eagerly awaiting the  third season, In January, the horror film “Scream”   premiered, where Jack played one of the central  characters. He took on the role of Richie Kirsch,   and to prepare for it, Quaid delved into the  world of toxic fandoms. He created a fake account   on Reddit and trolled Star Wars: The Last Jedi,  claiming that the movie had ruined the franchise   and betrayed the original series. Jack hoped that  no one would recognize him, but the post sparked   such intense discussions that his identity was  uncovered. He had to clarify that he actually   loves Star Wars and was just trying to rile  people up for research purposes. Incidentally,   becoming part of the Star Wars franchise is one of  Jack's biggest dreams. As a child, he dressed up   as Luke Skywalker, and now he's ready to play any  role—even a droid or a speck of sand on Tatooine.  Jack also loves horror movies, so he thoroughly  enjoyed working on Scream and did a lot of   improvisation. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and  Tyler Gillett encouraged this approach but kept   the actors within certain boundaries. The final  cut included many improvisational moments not only   from Jack but from other actors as well. However,  most of Richie’s comedic scenes are thanks to   Jack’s own contributions rather than the script. Two Sides of the Superhero Coin.  In the summer of 2022, the third season of The  Boys was released, and the series was immediately   renewed for a fourth season. Interestingly, in  one of the episodes, Quaid's character, Hughie,   struggles to open a jar of mustard, prompting fans  to start sending the actor instructions and links   to buy jar openers. Jack appreciated the joke and  was delighted that The Boys fanbase is so kind,   despite the show's cynical nature. In 2023, Quaid took on the roles of two   superheroes, lending his voice to the animated  film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and   the animated series My Adventures with Superman.  "It's a dream come true," Jack said about these   projects. He grew up as a huge comic book fan  and never imagined he'd get the chance to play   Superman. Additionally, he found it fascinating  to work on classic superheroes after the sarcastic   tone of The Boys. "Playing both sides of this  superhero coin is such an honor," he admitted.  Oppenheimer In addition,   2023 saw the release of the biopic Oppenheimer.  Jack Quaid's role was kept under wraps for a long   time—he only mentioned that his character was  based on a real person who had certain hobbies   that he tried to take up himself. It was later  revealed that Jack played the American physicist   Richard Feynman. While it's unclear which hobby  Jack tried, the scientist was known to be a   decent portrait artist, played unique percussion  instruments, and enjoyed cracking safes for fun.  An interesting story happened to Quaid during  the filming of Oppenheimer. He took a taxi from   his hotel in New Mexico to a local grocery store,  filled up his cart, and then realized he had no   way to get back since there were no Uber cars  available in the area. He ended up "borrowing"   the shopping cart and pushing it all the way back  to the hotel. This experience gave him the idea   to rent a minivan so that he and other members  of the film crew could make grocery runs. Jack   later joked that he essentially became the bus  driver during the filming of Oppenheimer. To   coordinate this process, he created a group chat,  which, thanks to Olivia Thirlby, was aptly named   "Oppenhomies." This chat became the main way the  actors stayed in touch even after filming wrapped.  Oppenheimer was released in July 2023, becoming  the highest-grossing World War II film worldwide.   At the same time, the actors' and writers'  strike was ongoing, delaying the production   of the next season of The Boys. The show's actors  also supported the industry's demands for better   working conditions and higher wages, with Jack  Quaid among those who joined the picket lines.   Incidentally, Jack is outspoken about his  views and doesn't shy away from important   political events in the country; for example, he  encourages his followers to vote in elections.  New Projects The fourth season of The   Boys was released in June 2024, and Jack called it  his favorite. It features many shocking moments,   and the characters are explored more deeply  and in greater detail. Interestingly, Quaid's   salary for this season was $55,000 per episode. Recently, the actor lent his voice to a new   audiobook by detective author Michael Connelly  titled The Safe Man. There are rumors that this   story might be adapted into a film, and the author  himself wouldn’t mind seeing Quaid in the cast.  The release of the fifth, and likely final,  season of The Boys has already been confirmed,   with filming set to begin in 2025. Meanwhile,  Jack is working on the action thriller Novocaine,   where he will play a bank employee, as  well as the action-comedy Heads of State.  Quaid admitted that he isn't picky about  future projects—he's just happy to get work.   He views each role as an opportunity and tries  to find something interesting in the character.   Additionally, he's exploring his creative  potential by getting involved in scriptwriting   and producing small projects. Sources of Inspiration  Jack enjoys spending time outdoors,  engaging in activities like hiking   and surfing. In his free time, he also  plays video games, dabbles in photography,   and loves exploring different cuisines from around  the world, discovering new flavors. Musically,   he prefers listening to bands like The  Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones.  As an actor, Jack loves watching TV shows and  movies, studying various genres and directorial   styles. He draws inspiration from actors such  as Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep,   Jim Carrey, and Robin Williams. He's also  a big fan of the American comedy duo Bud   Abbott and Lou Costello, particularly enjoying the  film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. One   of his current favorite shows is the Netflix  series Mindhunter, a psychological thriller   about FBI Behavioral Science Unit agents. In addition to English, Jack is fluent in   Spanish. He is actively involved in environmental  conservation and animal protection initiatives. He   has a reputation for being a genuinely  nice guy—gossip websites frequently   post about his kindness towards service staff. Jack is also well-regarded among his colleagues,   although Christopher Walken somehow  confuses him with Shia LaBeouf. Once,   when they crossed paths at an airport, Walken  approached Jack and asked if he was "the   kid from the Transformers movies." Jack had to  disappoint Walken and clarify that it wasn't him.  As we've mentioned, Jack's mom is proud  of him, but his father doesn't miss an   opportunity to praise him either. Dennis Quaid  speaks highly of his son's work, admires the   person Jack has become, and his independence.  Jack himself says that his life principle is:   if something scares you, do it, because that's  probably how you'll get the result you need.  Net Worth and Houses of Quaid Quaid's net worth is estimated at   $4 million—not bad, considering he's still at the  beginning of his career. The actor lives in Los   Angeles, but his home is mostly seen in selfies  on social media. From what can be observed,   the interiors are done in calm, understated  colors, with an emphasis on abstract paintings   or comic book-style drawings. He also spends a  lot of time in Toronto, where The Boys is filmed.  There's much more information available about  where Jack lived during his childhood. Meg Ryan   and Dennis Quaid lived together in an apartment on  the Upper East Side. It featured three bedrooms,   a spacious yet cozy kitchen, a dining room,  and a library combined with a study. The couple   purchased the 12th-floor apartment in 1997 for  3 million 100 thousand dollars and sold it in   2001 after their divorce. Afterward, Meg moved  through several apartments in downtown New York   before eventually relocating to the West Coast. Jack's childhood, after his parents' divorce,   was spent in Los Angeles, where Meg bought  a two-story mansion with six bedrooms,   a guest house, and a backyard pool. Ryan could  also spend time with her son at her mansion on   Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts. So, what do you think—Is Jack Quaid's   success due to his own efforts, or did  he just get lucky with his parents? Это последний раздел через  другой переводчик для сравнения  "Quaid's net worth is estimated at $4 million.  Not bad, considering he is still at the very   beginning of his career. The actor lives in Los  Angeles, but his home can only be seen in selfies   on social networks. It's noticeable that the  interiors are done in calm, understated colors,   but with an emphasis on abstract paintings  or comic-style drawings. Additionally,   the celebrity spends a lot of time in Toronto,  where the filming of 'The Boys' takes place. Much more is known about where Jack lived during  his childhood. Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid lived   together in an apartment on the Upper East Side.  It has 3 bedrooms, a spacious yet cozy kitchen,   a dining room, and a library combined with  an office. The couple purchased the apartment   on the 12th floor in 1997 for $3.1 million and  sold it in 2001 after their divorce. After that,   Meg changed several apartments in downtown  New York before moving to the West Coast. Our hero's childhood after his parents' divorce  was spent in Los Angeles, where Meg bought a   two-story mansion with six bedrooms, a guest  house, and a swimming pool in the backyard.   Ryan could also spend time with her son in her  mansion on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts. What do you think, is Jack Quaid's success his own  merit, or did he just get lucky with his parents?"